Containers



May 22, 1962 D. A. GOETZ CONTAINERS Filed May 4, 1961 Fig.5

INVENTOR. Daniel A. Goefz ug mmxb w H IS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,035,623 CONTAINERS Daniel A. Goetz, Pittsburgh, Pa., assighor to Stylette Plastics, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 4, 1961, Ser. No. 107,744 4 Claims. (Cl. 150-48) This invention relates to containers and buckets and more particularly to containers and buckets with flexible side walls made from materials such as polyethylene or other plastics.

In handling, mixing, stirring and tinting or coloring paints, buckets and containers have been used wherein some of the paint sticks or adheres to the bottom and walls thereof. Since many of these buckets and containers are reused, it is desirable to remove the paint adhering to their bottoms and walls. Such removal generally has included application of chemical solvents thereto or scraping thereof. To avoid use of chemical solvents or scraping, some such containers have been made from polyethylene to which paint does not stick or adhere. However, these containers have been unsatisfactory because of lack of stifiness in their walls.

I have invented a container which, while its side walls are made from polyethylene or other flexible materials; nevertheless, has sufficient stifiness in its side walls so that it is useful for holding, handling, mixing and stirring paints and other liquids, solids, articles, etc. Specifically, my container comprises a bottom and side walls joined thereto and extending upwardly therefrom. The side walls are made from a flexible material and have an outwardly down-turned lip at the top thereof. This lip extends substantially around the top of the walls and is spaced apart from the outside periphery of the walls at their top to form a peripheral groove which extends substantially therearound. Disposed within the groove is a spring rod-like means which extends substantially the length of the groove and which imparts stifiness to the walls.

A depression on the outside of the walls extends substantially therearound and defines a part of the groove. This depression is useful for receiving and assisting in retaining the spring rod-like means.

The lip of my container has a down-turned portion which has on its inside surface a depression running substantially therearound and adapted for receiving and assisting in retaining the spring rod-like means. The depression on the lip is substantially opposite the depression on the outside of the walls of the container.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a container en1- bodying my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view in section of the container of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse section view of the lip of the container of FIGURE 1 and of the spring rod-like means thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 with the spring rod-like means removed; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the spring rod-like means of the container of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, my invention comprises a container 1 made from polyethylene by an injection molding process. The container has a bottom 2 and side walls 3 integral therewith and extending upwardly therefrom. Spaced apart and disposed on both the interior and exterior of the side walls are measuring lines 4 which indicate amounts of paint or other liquids when the top level thereof is at a given line. As shown, the lines indicate quarts of paint or other liquids.

The side walls 3 terminate in an outwardly downturned lip or rim 5 which comprises an outwardly extend- 3,635,623 Fatented May 22, 1962 'ice ing portion 5 and a down-turned portion 7. The lip 5 extends substantially around the periphery of the top of the side walls except for two small gaps 8 and 9. The down-turned portion 7 is spaced apart from the outside periphery of the walls at their top to form a peripheral groove 10 which extends substantially around the walls and receives and retains a spring rod-like means such as a split ring 11 made from spring steel wire or rod.

When the split ring 11 is in the groove 10, the walls 3 have suficient stiffness or rigidity so that they do not buckle or bend into unwanted oval or elliptical shape when the container is picked up or handled while containing an amount of paint or other liquids, solids, etc. In addition to the split ring, a continuous ring made from spring steel wire or any other suitable metal with springlike properties can be used for my spring rod-like means.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, adjacent the top of the side walls 3, on the outside thereof and forming a part of the groove 19, is a shallow depression 12. This depression extends substantially around the periphery of the container and receives and engages a part of the split ring 11, thereby assisting in retaining it in position in the groove 18.

The inside of the down-turned portion 7 of the lip 5 also has a shallow depression 13 running substantially therearound for receiving and engaging another part of the split ring 11 to assist in retaining it in position. The depression 13 in the lip is substantially opposite the depression 12 of the side walls.

Connected to the top of the side walls are two oppositely positioned lugs 14 for joining a handle 15 to the container 1 so that the container can be picked up or otherwise moved and used.

My invention, when made from polyethylene, has specia. advantages for users of paint and other similar materials because paint does not adhere to the walls and bottom and the walls have the necessary stillness to avoid buckling and bending when the container is picked up or otherwise handled while holding an amount of paint.

In addition, the container is subject to easy and inexpensive manufacture by injection molding.

While I have shown and described a present preferred cmbodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container having a bottom and having side walls joined to said bottom and extending upwardly therefrom, said side walls being made from a flexible material and having an outwardly down-turned lip at the top thereof which extends substantially therearound, said lip being spaced apart from the outside periphery of the walls at the top thereof to form a peripheral groove extending substantially around said walls, and a spring-like split ring disposed in said groove for imparting stiffness to said walls.

2. The container of claim 1 characterized by a depression on the outside of said Walls substantially opposite said lip, extending substantially therearound and defining a part of said groove, said depression receiving and assisting to retain said spring-like split ring.

3. The container of claim 1 characterized by said down-turned lip having a depression on its inner surface, said depression extendirir substantially therearound and receiving and assisting to retain said spring-like split ring.

4. The container of claim 1 characterized by said flexible material being polyethylene.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,173,755 Straight Feb. 29, 1916 2,642,911 De Shazor June 23, 1953 2,935,108 Hall May 3, 1960 

